Memories of my Father
by Shadolawn
Summary: It is Teddy Lupin's 17th birthday, the birthday where you become an adult in the wizarding world. For this very special birthday he gets very good presents, but of course what he got was not what he was expecting. What will Teddy do when he gets a vial of his Father's memories as a present? This is one of my first stories so pleas review. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't expecting much for my seventeenth birthday, maybe a new broom kit, some candy from Hogsmeade, or merchandise from George's store. But I never would guess that I would get a vial of my father's memories, yet that is exactly what I got.

On the morning of my birthday I was woken by six owls tapping on the dormitory window. After about a minute of trying to tune them out and go back to sleep I gave up and let them flood into the room. They all perched on the end of my bed, sticking out their legs, each with a package attached. As I slowly awakened I recognized each owl. My godfather Harry's family owl Spock, the elderly Weasley owl by the name of Errol, a school barn owl, Pigwidgeon who is Ron and Hermione's, a huge and majestic Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes bird from George Weasley, and Tolly, my own owl who I had recently sent to my grandmother with a letter.

Deciding that I wasn't going to get back to sleep at all I started gathering the parcels from each of the birds. Of course first came Tolly because she is mine and I hadn't heard from my grandmother for a while.

My grandmother's letter was all about how proud she was of me, how proud my parents would be, how proud my grandfather would be, and about how now that I was seventeen she wouldn't have to make me cut the vegetables by hand anymore… thank Merlin for that.

Next I opened the large square package that was attached to Pigwidgeon. It turned out to be a broom kit from Ron and a stack of books from Hermione. I actually did not mind Hermione's present of books for I did like to read occasionally and she had come to recognize my reading style. I put the books and the kit in my trunk and returned to my bed.

There was a small, oddly shaped parcel and a letter on George's owl which intrigued me. I slowly detached it from the bird's leg, careful not to make it uncomfortable for I did not know it at all. I took off the wrapping on George's present to find a vial filled with a silvery and wispy substance. This gift surprised me and carefully holding the vial I opened up the letter that went with it.

_**Dear Teddy, **_

_**Happy birthday Lupin! You're a lot bigger than you were when we celebrated your first birthday but no matter because you are still a shorty to me. **_

_**Now, the vial that I gave you contains the memories of Remus John Lupin, your father. On the night of the battle he gave them to Fred and I to give to you at an appropriate time in case he died. I figured that your seventeenth birthday was as good a time as any (except for your wedding *cough* to Victoria *cough* but that is a bit too far away) to give you this. **_

_**Let me say that your father was a very smart, brave and noble man and that he did not wish or plan to die but that he was a great planner and cared for you immensely, he wanted to make sure that you knew him as much as anyone else, if not more. **_

_**These memories are his life, the ups, the downs, and the in betweens. Keep them safe and please enjoy them. If you have any questions all of the Weasleys, the Potters, and your grandmother, along with countless other people are here to help and answer anything. **_

_**Love, **_

_**George Weasley **_

_**Ps. you are also welcome to anything in my store as a second gift. **_

It took a while for it all to sink and I just sat there staring at the vial for around 15 minutes. Those swirling silvery strands were part of my father who I knew only from stories and pictures. I really couldn't believe it. Now my only problem was how to see those memories. I knew I needed a pensieve because of some of the books I had read but I had no idea how to get one or where I might find one. No being able to come up with a solution I took out a pair of socks, laid them on my dresser, and nestled the flask onto them softly. I then went to open the package and letter from my godfather, Harry.

He had given me a little brown, worn diary. When I opened it I realized that it was already opened and many of the pages had pictures in between them. As I focused in on the writing I realized that it was my father's diary from his time at Hogwarts.

I then checked Harry's letter and he confirmed my discoveries. He said that it had indeed been my father's and that the pictures had been taken by all of the marauders at various times during their Hogwarts career. He also said the same stuff about the memories as George had, apparently it had been a sort of combined theme and present for my seventeenth birthday.

I always loved Harry's presents for he was basically a father to me and I had lived with him and his wife Ginny since before they got married, they had raised me as their own along with James, Albus and Lily, their children.

Next I opened the parcel from the Weasleys. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were not as old as my grandmother but they were timeworn, I mean they were grandparents and everything and had about a million grandchildren. Even having all those grandchildren they still somehow remembered me and were always very kind, remembering my birthday and treating me the same as all their grandchildren.

They had given me something of my mum's as well as my dad's. They had given me their wedding rings. My mother's was a diamond stud on a gold band engraved with the words "accept and love differences" while my father's was a simple, heavy golden band. In their letter the Weasleys said that my parents would always watch over me and that this small part of them was something that I should have and that I should cherish forever. They also gave me the interesting fact that the heavy golden band that my father had worn contained a lock of my mother's hair; it had made their marriage even better and their vows even stronger.

I decided that I would buy a gold chain at the next Hogsmeade trip and wear the rings around my neck. I also made a note to ask headmistress McGonagall or Professor Longbottom to help me with a securing charm so that I would never lose them, which would be tragic.

Then, putting the rings in a box and tucking them into a drawer in my bedside table I turned to the final owl, a barn owl from the school. When I opened the letter I was surprised to find that it was not from Professor Longbottom, but from Headmistress McGonagall. Of course it would have been more surprising if it was from Professor Binns, seeing how McGonagall was indeed a family friend. Her letter was very interesting however. It said:

_**Mr. Teddy Remus Lupin, **_

_**Although a Headmistress does not normally gift a child on their birthday I think it might be useful to you to let you know that I have a pensieve in my office and that you may use it if you wish to do so. **_

_**Sincerely, **_

_**Headmistress McGonagall**_

_**P.S. I am an animagus. **_

Well apparently even the Headmistress had a part in my gift. I was glad that I could use a pensieve though, for I was very excited to finally be on a closer level with my dad, to actually see him in action.

Being raised by Ginny, a fashion conscious woman who taught me from a young age to look appropriate no matter what, I quickly threw on my shirt, pants and tie, taking a moment to peer into the mirror and deciding to rock some blue hair with a brown streak in the front. Being a Metamorphmagus meant that I could change my appearance at any given time, a trait inherited from my mother that was quite useful. I reached for the vial containing my father's memories, committed the password to the office to memory and then hurried into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, put on deodorant, and rushed out down to the common room and through the portrait hole, heading for the headmistresses office.


	2. Chapter 2

I had run all the way to the gargoyles on the seventh floor that marked the entrance to the headmaster's office. I was still clutching the vial securely and carefully. When I came to a halt it took me a second to realize how I had gotten there so quickly. I had forgotten the time of day in my excitement and I noticed that the rest of Hogwarts was just rising from sleep for it was early morning on a Saturday, meaning that the hallways had been completely empty.

I looked at the gargoyles and softly said, "Animagus."

They sprang apart and now I slowly and deliberately made my way up the spiral staircase. Reaching a heavy oak door I opened it and stepped into a cluttered circular room. I passed through it and came into and almost identical room except that this one was much more organized and had a desk in it.

On the desk was a note in Headmistress McGonagall's handwriting.

_**Pensieve in closet next to Phineas Nigellus, Place on desk to use, Return to closet when finished. **_

She must have guessed that I would come here before the day had even begun, which is sort of obvious but no matter, I just wanted to start.

I recognized the picture of Phineas Nigellus that was hanging on the wall for I had seen his other portrait at 12 Grimmauld Place. I nodded to him and proceeded to the tall, dark wooden closet that stood on his left.

Opening it I revealed a shallow metallic bowl containing what looked like an endless amount of murky water, it was the pensieve. I placed it on the headmistress's desk and poured my father's memories slowly into it. Then I took a deep breath and lowered my face into the shimmering contents.

"But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life." said a motherly voice.

I turned to see a woman reading a book to a young boy. With a start I realized that they must be my grandmother and my father.

"Now Remus it's time for bed," said my grandmother.

"Goodnight mama," the young version of my father replied.

She tucked him into bed, gave him a kiss, and turned off the lights as she left his room.

The scene then changed.

My father lay on a white hospital bed and as I looked around I saw that we were in St. Mungo's. He was covered in blood that gushed from his throat; there were five nurses and three Healers around him, cleaning him up. My grandmother and a man, who I assumed to be my grandfather, were sitting against the opposite wall.

Everything sped up for a moment and the scene came back, but my father was clean with a bandage on his neck and there was only one Healer in the room.

The Healer spoke with no emotion, "you have been attacked by a werewolf by the name of Fenrir Greyback. Unfortunately you will now be a werewolf and will have to transform every full moon. I am going to speak to your parents outside."

They left the room and again, the scene changed.

My father was alone in a shack built just a little way away from his house. There was a full moon and all of a sudden he transformed into a werewolf. He howled in pain and tried to claw at anything he could. He ended up clawing at himself.

Then he was in his house, his mother was cleaning him up for he had scratches and bruises all over. He looked miserable and I felt sorry for him.

Once again a mist descended onto the scene and then rose to show a new one.

A man with a long gray beard and wearing green wizarding robes was knocking on the door of my father's house. The door was opened by my grandmother who asked the man to please come in and they sat in the living room.

"Dumbledore," said my grandmother, "surely your not-,"

"Yes," he said cutting her off, "I am here for Remus, your son. We will accept him and make arrangements to deal with his wolfish behavior."

My father had been eavesdropping outside the living room door and entered saying, "really, I'm allowed to go to Hogwarts!?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "you can."

The next few scenes were of my father going to Hogwarts. He met James, Sirius, and Peter on the train, got sorted into Gryffindor, and became best friends with the other three. There were a lot of scenes of him studying, transforming, and playing pranks with his friends. Eventually there was a scene of his friends learning of his lycanthropy, becoming animangi, and roaming the grounds with him. There was also the scene where they officially became the marauders, and scenes with various girls who I assumed to be my father's girlfriends, none of them lasted long though.

Scenes of my father at home gradually disappeared until it seemed that he no longer had any connection with my grandparents. He eventually graduated and started working odd jobs for Dumbledore. Sometimes staying with werewolves but mostly living in a flat and doing research on Voldemort and defense against the dark arts. He also joined the Order of the Phoenix and did undercover work for them.

One of the saddest scenes was of him learning of Lily and James's death, him visiting Godric's Hollow to see the ruins, and hearing of Sirius being carted off to Azkaban. The only enjoyable part of that time in his life had been seeing little Harry, who looked a lot like James but had Lily's green eyes.

After the tragedy he went back to working undercover and doing research until Dumbledore asked him to work at the school. There he reunited with Harry and was part of Sirius's escape and the failed attempt to capture Peter, who had betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort … I had been told that story many times and I knew it by heart, almost word for word.

After that there was his meeting my mother and reforming the Order. I saw how much he tried to avoid his feelings for my mum because of his lycanthropy and I saw him eventually give in, show his love, and I saw their marriage. I then saw my birth and his announcing to Harry that he should be Godfather… I am very glad he made that decision.

The final scene was that of him talking to me, explaining about who I was, who I was related to, and how brilliant my mother was.

I pulled my head out of the pensieve and stared at it for a good few minutes, absorbing as much as I could of what I had just witnessed. Then I put the memories back into the vial and looked out the window, it was already midday.

Slowly I made my way back to my room, secured the vial and took out the diary of my father's that Harry had given me. I went down to the now crowded common room and sat down to read my dad's words.

I did not get much reading done though. Half the time I just stared at the page and thought about my father and his memories and the other half my friends, cousins, and a few girls who I didn't know but who gave me flirtatious winks all came up to me to wish me a happy birthday.

I did not feel like eating at all that day so instead of dinner I ate a few pieces of candy and then got ready for bed, still thinking about all that had happened. There was so much going through my head that I didn't think I would be able to concentrate on anything for a while.

I probably wouldn't be able to pay attention in classes on Monday but hey, who paid attention in Binn's class anyway?

I finally shut off the lights and got into bed. It took quite a while to get to sleep and the last thing I thought before I drifted off to dreamland was: I can't wait to see how they try to top this birthday present with next years.


End file.
